Initial requirements for foreign languages

In order to make intelligent contact with other cultures and ensure successful intercultural communication, language skills are an essential requirement.

At the University of St.Gallen, the curriculum is taught in German and English. The university not only offers the opportunity to study in two languages, but foreign languages are deeply embedded within its program structure.

Proof of proficiency and requirements
Graduates of the University of St.Gallen are required to demonstrate their proficiency in two foreign languages, with the requirement of proof being completely independent of their choice of language of study. One language certificate must be completed during the Assessment Year and a second until the completion of Bachelor studies.

A range of courses and examinations is offered in nine foreign languages. For each language, two or three target levels have been defined. Students decide for themselves which level in which foreign language they will seek certification for (that is, which language skills they want to have documentation for it in the labor market).

The languages taught at HSG assume an entry level equivalent to the level of the Swiss maturity certificate or an equivalent foreign school-leaving certificate. In terms of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR), this means:

Entry requirements and target levels

Language

Entry requirement

Target level

Target level

Target level

German as a foreign language

B2

C1

C2

English

B2

C1

C2

French

B1 for target level B2/
B2 for target level C1

B2

C1

C2

Italian

No prior knowledge for target level B1/B1 for target level B2

B1

B2

C1

Spanish

No prior knowledge for target level B1/B1 for target level B2

B1

B2

C1

Portuguese

No prior knowledge

A2

B2

Chinese

No prior knowledge

A1

A2

Japanese

No prior knowledge

A1

A2

Russian

No prior knowledge

A1

A2

For the target levels A1 and A2, a range of language courses is offered with English as the language of explanation
.Special offer for language certificates in the languages of study, German and English
For students who may desire more intensive training in the languages of study, English or German, an extended course with double the number of hours per week is available for certification at the target level C1.

External qualifications
As part of the Assessment Year, proof of knowledge of a foreign language at a lower level is required (in languages with three target levels: one of the two lower levels). For this requirement, no external language diplomas will be recognized; students in the Assessment Year are required to complete an oral and written language examination at the University of St.Gallen.

However, in the Bachelor studies that follow, external language certificates can be presented as proof, allowing for recognition of languages other than those taught at the University of St.Gallen.